In 1 Timothy 6:20,21 we find the Apostle Paul writing to the young preacher, warning him to: “keep that which has been committed to your trust.  Avoid profane and vain babblings and opposition of science falsely so called which some have erred concerning the faith.”  Notice that Paul admonished Timothy to “keep” the Truths he had been taught.  The word “keep” means to surround, to protect.  Paul also referred to scientific findings relative to spiritual matters as “vain babblings” if they are in opposition to “the faith”–the Word of God upon which true faith is based (Rom. 10:19).  Faith, by which we must live, is simply taking God at His Word.

Recently I was surprised to read, following a large print, eye-catching headline that a group of scientists had come to the conclusion that something supernatural was regularly taking place in their totally rational world.  This is the world in which “follow the science,” “believe the science” and “trust the science” have become social mantras.  In their cloistered, no trespass world, if it is happening, science can explain it; if science can’t explain it, you just think it is happening.

However, of late a few of their number have broken ranks and admitted that maybe, just maybe, there is something going on out there that they can’t explain.  At least a few of the world’s self-appointed reality determiners are admitting that maybe, just maybe the scientific world has met its match.  They are admitting IN PRINT that human beings are behaving and believing in ways that are unexplainable, do not make sense, cannot be scientifically explained, cannot be quantified or placed under a microscope.  Added to their consternation is the fact that the phenomenon is taking place, not among a few obviously deranged people, but en masse and within every social and economic strata of the civilized world.  These exasperated scientists admitted that large numbers of seemingly sane people are doing and believing things that cannot be explained using the “Scientific Method.”  The S.M. has been the play-by-play formula used for generations to explain EVERYTHING.  According to the S.M., nothing exists outside the material, tangible, observable and examinable world.  There is no such thing as a spirit ANYTHING, certainly no God or spirit “world” those religious nuts keep talking about.

Some scientists are admittedly surprised by what is happening among certain populations in terms of beliefs and actions based on those beliefs.  I, on the other hand, am surprised by their admission that there is a possibility, albeit remote, that they just might be wrong.  Let us examine the scientific (“If I can’t touch it, it doesn’t exist”) mind-set beginning with Webster’s definition of science, which the world’s premiere word-definer identifies as “knowledge of facts, phenomena, laws and proximate causes gained and verified by exact observation, organized experiment and analysis.”

Notice that two of the first three words in the definition of science are “knowledge” and “facts.” We’re talking about pure, unquestioned and unquestionable reality.  Knowledge of (reality concerning) what?  “FACTS.”  Websters defines knowledge as “the state of knowing” and facts as “any statement that is strictly true; truth; reality.  The use of the words “knowledge” and “facts” eliminate even a remote possibility of error, guesswork, surmizing or opinion.  Something IS because science says it IS and IS NOT if science says it IS NOT.  To doubt science is man’s version of blasphemy.  Who would dare second guess “SCIENTIFIC FACTS?”  Who else but the Apostle Paul would have the temerity to challenge the scientific world of his day?  Paul could challenge those “in the know” because he knew the creator of the entire universe on a personal basis.  He stated that He received the Gospel directly from Jesus Christ by revelation (Gal. 1:12).  With all this in mind, let us return to antiquity where we find God, through His prophets, telling us exactly what happened that is today causing people to believe, do and speak in ways that has those with “the answer” publicly admitting that the impossible just might be possible.

Returning to the definition of “science,” notice the final words: “verified by EXACT OBSERVATION, ORGANIZED EXPERIMENTATION AND ANALYSIS.”  But by whom–SCIENTISTS, of course.  The scientific world will be hard, if not impossible to convince that there actually is a spirit world out there.  For the immediate future they will continue to “know” that there is nothing in the universe that scientists cannot touch, observe, organize, weigh, measure, experiment on and analyze.  Anything of a spiritual nature is summarily dismissed as a figment of the imagination of an obviously deranged individual.  I recently read that, according to in-depth scientific observation, organization, experimentation and analysis, “RELIGION DOES DAMAGE TO THE BRAIN.”  I would imagine that the vast majority of scientists agree with that statement.  With that theory established, let us turn to the Holy Bible for some Truth relative to what is happening in the minds of masses of people who are indeed thinking, speaking and behaving in ways that let us know that something supernatural/otherworldly is indeed happening on earth, how it is happening and why it is happening.

Let me be blunt.  I do not doubt that Christianity as it has been known for hundreds of years does indeed damage the brain.  In a spiritual sense, I see the effect of modern Christianity causing a mass of spiritual scar tissue to form around the brain which, over time, grows thicker and harder to penetrate.  Removing it is nigh unto impossible.  During my years of ministry I can count on one hand the number of people that I know have embraced the Lord of the Scriptures, believed Him and obeyed Him, only one of whom now lives in this locality.

One might think that this would be depressing to someone who does as much teaching as I do.  But such is not the case because the Words of Jesus Christ keep me up and going.  He said: “… where TWO OR THREE are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mat. 18:20).  He knew that the vast majority of salvation seekers in any area would reject His Truth and His Truth bearer.  He noted in Matthew 7:13,14 that the masses would follow Satan’s false prophets into his church system and along his path.  He said that on the Day of Judgment many would call Him their Lord and remind Him of their churchiness.  Only professing Christians call Him Lord and do things in His name.  However, He proclaimed that, “Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name have cast out devils? and in Your name have done many wonderful works?  And then I will say to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU, DEPART FROM ME YOU WHO WORK INIQUITY'” (LAWLESSNESS)–Mat. 7:22,23.

As I said, I can believe that the Christianity-brain damage connection is real.  Anyone Satan controls will suffer brain damage which prevents them from learning and believing God’s Truth.  The deeper one delves into one of Satan’s false religions the further one drifts away from the Truth of God, the more brain damage occurs and the more difficult it is to break away from it.  Catholicism, Protestantism, Islamism, Hinduism, witchcraft, etc. have proven to be as addictive as cocaine.  An addict is under the control of something or someone else.  I have stated that religion is the most powerful force on earth.  What else could convince someone to strap a bomb to their belly and kill dozens of total strangers? What else but religion could convince people to sacrifice their children to its god?  What else but religion would cause people to succumb to martyrdom for their beliefs which the Book they claim to trust contradicts everything they believe?

In the next posting(s) we will allow God to show us from whence the insanity that is gripping the United States is coming.  Do not expect the scientific world to believe it.  L.J.